Faith Kipyegon breaking-4 official discussion thread (+watch party/reaction show at 1:55 pm ET)

What happens if she runs a 1320 time trial in 3:02? Even if it means her 4:00 attempt is suicidal, she still can’t back out.

Looks crazy. But Nike sell less shoes than a couple years ago. That the reason of the event

So, if the World Athletics rules don’t apply, then anything is possible. Maybe there will be a giant fan driving behind her, blowing wind at her back—since wind speed doesn’t matter anyway.

Too big to fail.

1:15 eastern time Thursday (not clear if that’s the stream start or race time, I assume stream start)

Prime Video and Nike YouTube/socials

Links about halfway through this article:

runnersworld.com

Faith Kipyegon Aims to Become the First Woman to Run a Sub-4-Minute Mile—Here’s How to Watch

The Kenyan superstar is shooting for history on Thursday.

Open link

Look I am glad I am not involved in this what has become a joke of a sport. The technology and bs lets be real they might as well just allow EPO and performance enhancing drugs at this point. In 2003 through 2006 when I took it crazy serious, I got to 3:45 in a 1,500m which is roughly a 4:01 mile and my technological advantage was using sprint spikes to give me an edge. Today they are jacking up the technology so much that it is comparable to a competitive skydiver no longer needing a parachute because it would get in the way of the bs they are doing.

But in reference to Kipyegon's garbage attempt to make more of a circus of what this sport has become she is not breaking 4 but I am going to say 4:03 and change to 4:04 and change.

Since a shoe company is involved in this, I have to assume that she will be running with a new prototype of shoe, probably illegal on the track, in addition to the male pacemakers, and then there's also that far more costly option of laying down a surface with more return than is legal as well. The sport seems to be flourishing right now with all the amazing performances, but it's a bubble of techno fakery. It's a shame that Seb Coe had to go for the cash grab and not place limits on the use of technology in the sport because it is no longer possible to make legitimate comparisons with the history of the sport and all the standards are becoming empty.

limiting tech doesnt work... for the same reasons limiting PEDs doesnt "work". CHARLIE FRANCIS was right (Speed Trap).

Faith K is the best choice for a spectacular stunt. She is greatly respected by her peers and is one of the last Kenyans to be suspected of PED use.

But no way she can break 4. If she goes 4:04 that would be epic, monster, gonzo etc. Shes already nearly 5 sec clear of every other athlete in history at 1M. So where do the additional SEVEN POINT X seconds come from?

but if she actually does this, incredibly, then the LRBF on this very board will have to yield with their legendary Jimbo ~3.24 and accept FK as the greatest perforrner in history.

Agree with many of the posters - if she manages this I'll be flummoxed. Even if it's an early season meet, and all-out 1000m in 2:29-low is light years away from sub-4 in the mile. I was close to a sub-4, but not under (2:24i / 3:44). When I was running 2:28-2:29, my 1500s were all around 3:52-3:53. I can't fathom racing an all out 2:29 and then expecting to run another 609m at essentially the same pace.

My bet is 402. It's a fast track with recent world records. She has already run 407, and I'm assuming she is in that shape currently in a comparable race. Subtract 0.5s for the new speed suit, 2s for the shoes tuned perfectly to her form, and 3s for the drafting. That's 402 if everything goes well.

Based on the most recent details out the last few days, the drafting will be the primary scheme making the attempt not record-eligible. The shoes are currently illegal, but an earlier prototype is legal and the shoes used are expected to be approved soon (but too late to count tomorrow). Supposedly there will be no other tricks (such as fans to provide a tailwind).

I guess one exciting aspect is if it goes wrong and she blows up at 1200, that last lap is going to last forever and she will probably end up with a 410 or slower.

Nike's live stream will be here (will also be shown on Prime).

I thought this morning about what would happen if even in my fittest years, I ran basically my 1000m PR and then tried to continue for another 609m (don't think that would have ended well). Because that is really the task she is facing. Like she is brave as hell for attempting this - especially if she does go out on 2.29 1000m pace - she get's a lot of respect for that. Quite incredible.

But back to the fact this really does appear like it's going ahead - the thing with Trouw (her "performance manager") is that he's not going to let her make a fool of herself out there. He has no Nike agenda surrounding the validity of "aero nodes" or "pacemaking theories" - so if he is signing off on letting her attempt this, they must have some strong indicators in training (like a 1200m TT for example) that point to this? Surely?

As is common on LR, you’re ignoring 1500m conversions. Dibaba’s 3:50.7 1500m PR, converts to a mile time only one second slower than Kipyegon’s WR.

with a PR of 157 half

running 200 half in route is impossible to maintain

sure her real PR for 880 yd is probably 156 flat 800 155 mi.

with her B game, she will have a hard time running half way, but with the juice you tend to have your A game most of the time.

with her A game, she can make it to 1k, and the rest is a disaster

what is more reasonable is a 203 followed by a 205 for a 408 mile.

some such

anything else is a product of massive chicanery

lets face it, every time in every event has an asterisk on it. there is no way to verify what people are doing, beyond not going to the line, juiced to the gills with stuff on the radar.

bicarb itself is a massive PED, and there is a lot of other hacks you can do,

everything is an asterisk.

I used to love watching her run, but than had a Lance moment when she demolished WR in 2023. One min after the race ends and she's prancing around as if she just returned from a leisurely Sunday stroll. Meanwhile there is carnage behind her with bodies laying all over the track. NFW.

She is one of the most obvious dopers around. Can't stand the woman.

lol, what? She is one of the most obvious Kenyan dopers.

this is the absolute flat out hall mark of EPO type therapy

and this lady has the hall mark progression

peaking dramatically up in her late carear

with two quantum leaps well after her natural prime

a delux burrito queen.